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Sesame Street Theme
The Sesame Street Theme (registered with ASCAP as "Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street") is the familiar opening theme song of Sesame Street. It is normally sung by The Kids. The theme introduces the magical world of Sesame Street through its lyrics, stating that it is a place where "the air is sweet" and filled with "friendly neighbors," and frequently asks the now-famous question "Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?" In an unpublished memoir, Jon Stone commented that he personally had come up with many of the ideas for the song: "An integral part of designer Charlie Rosen's set was a wall of doors...I wanted to use these doors as transition gateways from the reality of the street to our puppet or animation pieces. I told Bruce Hart to include 'Every door will open wide'", which was also meant as a reference to the phrase "Open Sesame," the inspiration for the show's title. "More important, I insisted that the recurring theme in the lyric be 'Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?' The opening I envisioned was one of children...running happily, tumbling, playing along the way, but always intent on getting to Sesame Street..." Although Stone was pleased with Joe Raposo's music, which he said was "melodic and simple enough for a child to recognize" and link with the show, he believed the final product was "a lyrical disaster," filled with "hackneyed phrases" and "astronaut slang" such as "A-OK" which he believed would "become obsolete." Contrary to Stone's opinion, many of these "happy little clichés" (such as "Sunny day, sweepin' the clouds away") have arguably become as inexorably linked to the series as the melody. The song has been remade a number of times over the years not only for the show's opening and closing credits but also for inserts. Among the earliest, most distinctive versions of the theme feature solo harmonica performed by Toots Thielemans. William Galison provided the harmonica solo for the 30th Anniversary version of the theme (used from seasons 30 to 32). On The Muppet Show, when the Sesame Street cast made a cameo in Episode 518, the cast of both Sesame Street and The Muppet Show sang a verse of the theme song (this recording can be heard over a montage of Sesame Street clips in The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years). Gladys Knight sang the theme in The Sesame Street Special. This recording was also included in the album Sing: Songs of Joe Raposo. A remix was recorded by Ursula 2000 for Songs from the Street: 35 Years of Music. This remix also featured sound clips from various Sesame Street Albums. This recording sometimes accompanied montages in episodes of The Sesame Street Podcast. Lyrics Full version Sunny days sweeping the clouds away. On my way to where the air is sweet. Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street? Come and play. Everything's A-OK. Friendly neighbors there, that's where we meet. Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street? It's a magic carpet wide. Every door will open wide to happy people like you. Happy people like, what a beautiful Sunny days sweeping the clouds away. On my way to where the air is sweet. Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street? How to get to Sesame Street? How to get to Sesame Street? How to get to Sesame Street? Seasons 1-36 version Sunny days sweeping the clouds away. On my way to where the air is sweet. Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street? Come and play. Everything's A-OK. Friendly neighbors there, that's where we meet. Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street? How to get to Sesame Street? How to get to Sesame Street? How to get to Sesame Street? Seasons 37-45 version Can you tell me how to get? Can you tell me how to get? Sunny days sweeping the clouds away. On my way to where the air is sweet. Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street? Can you tell me how to get? Come and play. Everything's A-OK. Friendly neighbors there, that's where we meet. Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street? Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street? Seasons 46-present version Ooo, ooo, yeah, yeah. Sunny days sweeping the clouds away. On my way to where the air is sweet. Where the air is sweet. Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street? How to get to Sesame Street? Sesame Street! Trivia *Sometimes, the song gets called "Sunny Days". *Oscar dislikes the song. **In Episode 3152, he cannot get the song out of his head after failing to be commanded by a warning from Grundgetta to cover their ears *The theme tune plays at the beginning and end of each episode. The character can actually hear it, which is how they know to announce the sponsors, and when the viewers (which they talk to via breaking the fourth wall) are watching them. Category:Songs Category:Sesame Street Songs Category:TV